Having the honor to meet him was purely accidental and coincidental.
From June 2012 to June 2013, my wife and I were studying at the High School Affiliated to the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and we would find an attraction to spend the day every Sunday. On March 31, 2013, as planned, we went to visit the campuses of Tsinghua University and Peking University, which are coveted by Chinese students. I took the bus from Yanjiao, transferred to the subway at Dawang Road, and walked for more than two hours before entering the South Gate (main entrance) of Tsinghua University.
Tsinghua University and Peking University are universities that many young students dream about. We were lucky enough to visit here as outsiders, and we couldn't help but feel excited.
After visiting the beautiful and profound Tsinghua campus, we walked out from the south gate, crossed the road and walked east for five or six hundred meters to the east gate of Peking University. When we walked into the campus, we quickly saw Arrive at the Boya Tower that stands tall on the Weiming Lake.
It was still cold in Beijing in March. We were all wearing sweaters and down jackets, facing the slight cold wind, crossing the road, and walked into the Peking University campus in a few minutes, and soon passed by the Boya Tower. , walk a few more steps and you will arrive at Weiming Lake. While we marveled at the perfection of the ancient architecture of Boya Tower, we also enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the clear and wide Weiming Lake. As the breeze blew gently, ripples continued to appear on the water, one wave after another. The willow trees by the lake have not yet sprouted new buds. If we had come a month later, we would have seen the willow branches with green leaves blowing in the wind. If we came back after May, we would have seen all kinds of flowers in full bloom. The Weiming Lake will be even more beautiful.
(Weeping willows are fluttering, the lake is sparkling, and the shadow of the tower hangs over the lake, a beautiful scenery that is both real and illusory)
We admired the weeping willows and the lake from far and near. When the light is sparkling and the shadow of the tower hangs over the lake, it is a beautiful scenery that is both real and illusory. There are only a few pedestrians on the entire lake. We were about to walk along the lake when we suddenly saw a chair not far away that could seat three people. A thin man about forty years old was sitting on it with a few books beside him. In front of him on the right, there is a bench he brought with him and several books placed on it. There is a red-backed sign next to him that reads "Freelance writer, signing books and selling books." I saw that he was talking to passers-by, his voice was not loud, and he was talking very hard. Out of curiosity, we walked over.
As soon as he walked up to him, he saw a lady who was less than 60 years old and looked like a teacher walking over. She picked up a book on the stool and called out: "Zhuang Ku," she called directly It seems that he came here because of his name: "I came here specifically to buy a book." The gentleman named Zhuang Ku said "Thank you!" in a very awkward manner. The lady asked: "How much does it cost?" "30 yuan." The lady didn't say anything else, paid and left.
Only then did I start to take a serious look at the book seller. He is no more than 1.5 meters tall. He wears a dark brown cotton-padded jacket with lapels, blue trousers, a hat with black outside and dark gray inside. The bottom of the hat is rolled up in a circle, and a scarf with white spots on a black background. There were two circles around the neck, a neatly trimmed beard, a pair of myopic glasses on the bridge of the nose, regular facial features, and an elegant facial expression of a scholar.
(Zhuang Ku: A literati and elegant facial expression)
After his laborious self-introduction, we roughly know his situation. It turns out that he is a disabled person with congenital cerebral palsy and poor ability to take care of himself. But he had a quick mind and a fondness for literature. He was physically disabled but not mentally disabled, and he overcame difficulties that were unimaginable and insurmountable for ordinary people. He said: "I am a freelance writer. I write, publish and sell books. Not only do I support myself, but I also make my family feel very proud of me."
My wife and I have infinite sympathy for him. We were very moved and admired by his positive attitude towards life and indomitable spirit, so we decided to buy a book to express our support for him.
Hearing that we wanted to buy a book, he immediately took out a book and handed it over. Still struggling to introduce it, he said: "This is the latest one, and it costs 30 yuan." My wife took it and looked at it. On the cover, the title of the book "Love and Supportive Pain" is written below by Zhuang Ku. There is also an English translation of this note. After we paid, he laid the book flat on a stool, opened the blank page under the cover and signed it for us.
I saw that his left foot was obviously offset outward by at least 30°. It was higher and lower when he walked. He couldn't speak clearly and it was very laborious. It was even more strenuous when he signed, as he had to use both hands. Holding the pen at the same time, the words were written in large, cool and Arabic numerals, almost filling the blank page under the cover.
("Love and Supportive Pain" by Zhuang Ku)
(Signature of Zhuang Ku)
We looked at him with sympathy, touching and admiration We communicated again and then said goodbye to him.
As I continued to tour the Peking University campus, Zhuang Ku’s figure kept appearing in my mind. I think that if painters add solemn and cool shadows when depicting the beautiful scenery of Weiming Lake, the works will have more profound meaning and the picture will be more perfect.
When I returned to the station in the evening, I started reading "Love and Supportive Pain". Zhuang Ku's books are all about himself and his personal experiences.
Zhuang Ku was born in 1975. He has been disabled since he was a child (cranial nerve contusion syndrome). He studied with amazing perseverance and excellent results. After being admitted to an undergraduate university, he went to the Chinese Department of Peking University to study for a master's degree. With his weak and disabled body, he diligently writes books and sells books alone to support himself and inspire others. Before we met him, he had written nearly two million words and published thirteen or four books. He had been selling books for seven years and signed more than 20,000 copies. His books are highly literary, ideological and readable.
When I read about his experience of giving speeches at several universities in Beijing and Shanghai many times, these scenes came to my mind: He worked very hard on the stage and was so tired that he was sweating profusely. The wonderful speech made the college students who listened quietly in the audience moved and admired their expressions, and won heartfelt applause from the audience during and at the end of the speech.
Some people say that Boyata is a huge magic pen, while Weiming Lake is a giant inkstone from Tianchi. Generations of Peking University people have wielded this magic pen, soaking up the unnamed lake. Ink writes the history of Peking University; it writes the history of China. In his book, I seem to see a thin young man, dragging his disabled body, wandering with difficulty in the vast land of the motherland, from north to south, from east to west. Returning to the Weiming Lake, he held the magic pen from Peking University with both hands, dipped it in Weiming ink, and recorded and described his life.
Zhuang Ku relies on his own persistence and hard work to live a difficult life, but he lives confidently, elegantly and with a standard. He often said: "To be alive is to win!"
Although he encountered more and greater difficulties than ordinary people in writing and life, he lived a happy and optimistic life and never stopped. Stacking up his words, in "Youth Years", the opening chapter of "Love and Persistent Pain", Zhuang Ku wrote: "My words are the true words left to the world. If someone reads and listens, I will not be lonely. " Regarding his optimism, he described it this way:
"With youth by my side, and living in Beijing for ten and a half years, I gradually became a free and proud social person, writing honestly and studying diligently. , and take pleasure in hardship, be content, help others, and enjoy yourself. The tree of life is evergreen, and through the gaps in the leaves, I can see a glimmer of youth. ”
< p> He not only works hard to live, but also helps those in need so that they can live bravely. And in this way to realize their social value. "In the past few years, Zhuang Ku has mailed books to Wenchuan Middle School and donated 30 winter curtains to Guangai Orphan School; a total of 9,880 yuan in social donations and more than 5,000 yuan in welfare expenditures; he has helped four friends whose families are in difficulty,* **The total funding is 6,000 yuan. "Zhuang Ku believes that he is a strong person, so he should take care of and support those in need.His original name was Wang Wei. Someone asked him why he chose the pen name Zhuang Ku. He replied, I admire Zhuang Zi, and Zhuang Zi is "so cool", so I call him Zhuang Ku!
In fact, he himself is very "cool". He is not pretending to be cool, but is truly and truly cool.
He is not only a role model for all disabled people, but also for all able-bodied people!
The biggest gain from our visit to Tsinghua and Peking University this time was meeting the modern freelance writer Zhuang Ku!
March 11, 2019 in Changsha